If you’ve seen a TV crew rig or a boom mic operator over a TV show or movie – or even a documentary crew running behind a state senator asking what possessed him to take pictures on his cellphone, you may have seen a dead cat hover over. A Dead cat is a windscreen for a microphone. It looks furry – or like you have a dead cat on your microphone.

DeadCat

How the DeadCat works.

The fur of the DeadCat catches into the wind and absorbs the sound. Think of it like a thousand springs catching a bowling ball. They absorb the wind and block the sound from entering the microphone.

If you have a windscreen on your microphone and still get external sound, then the DeadCat may be the answer. Shotgun Wind screens don’t have that furry exterior, therefore can only block certain frequencies. Combining the windscreen and DeadCat in really windy situations can remove a great deal of wind noise. Of course, you have to boost your microphone up a little more so the sounds you want can be heard.

Some also refer to a DeadCat as a Wind Muff or a Duster.

If you have something like the Røde VideoMic, you should get a DeadCat with it. Then when you record a conference or record a podcast outside, the wind won’t get in the way.

Can You Make a DeadCat?

It’s possible but you have to be cautious about the fur material you get. Some has a thick glue on the fake skin that could cause other audio problems. Look at the inner side and determine if it can be used. If the skin is too course or the material is too thick, you may want to move on.

Ultimately, a DeadCat is a good investment around $40. After all, that wind noise is almost impossible to remove with any type of software. So why not keep it out to begin with?

Related Posts

Search Podcast Awesomeness!

Welcome to How to Record Podcasts. Where you can learn all about podcasting, the tools of the trade, and what kind of podcaster you want to become. You will also find about how to build your website, where to find hosting, how to get your feed on iTunes and other catchers, and much more!

Categories

Archives

How to Record Podcasts newsletter brings you tips and tricks for podcasting, plus find out about upcoming master classes.

Enter your email Address to subscibeYour Email:

Join the Google+ Podcasting Community

Come over to the Google+ Community Podcasters Page to join in on podcast discussions! Learn about other podcasters and how they are honing in on their craft! Old or new, we want you to be part of our community.

Recording video through a phone is a great way to capture the moment, but sometimes the audio experience gets lost. With binaural recording, the sound expands, and the experience increases. Anthony Mattana at Hooke audio wanted to make a simple device to give you that binaural experience. As a theater major, he saw how hard […]

This is part 1 of a 2 part video. I was asked by Aving.net to judge 8 of the Korean startups that came to CES 2019 to present and get noticed by investors and companies. In this first video, we look at the following 4 companies: IP&PMS This company basically looks for trademarks and patents […]

2006 – Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Biz Stone and Noah Glass launch Twitter (a.k.a. Twttr) with Jack’s first Tweet. “Just setting up my Twttr” went across the network of only a few followers. Similar to Alexander Graham Bell’s “Mr. Watson, come here” statement or “Mary Had a Little Lamb” into a wax cylinder. Twitter was officially founded, […]

7:17 AM ET TOKYO — Ichiro Suzuki has told the Seattle Mariners he will retire after Thursday’s game in Tokyo, sources confirmed to ESPN. Kyodo News was first to report the story. Ichiro Suzuki has informed the Mariners he will retire after Thursday’s game vs. the Oakland Athletics in Tokyo. Masterpress/Getty Images Many expected Ichiro, 45, […]

3:10 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN PHILADELPHIA — When the Philadelphia 76ers went all-in on this season not once, but twice — first by trading for Jimmy Butler, then for Tobias Harris — it was because they saw a window to compete for a championship right now. It was a decision fraught with risk. Philadelphia gave […]